IN YOUR CITY Show With Kelley and Gordon
IN YOUR CITY Show with Kelley & Gordon creates conversation in your city to experience people, places and things. Let's Talk!
IN YOUR CITY Show With Kelley and Gordon
Our Hot List Guest Chuck Pudiwitr from Boyfriend Band Rocks Down Memory Lane
Strap on your seatbelts, because Chuck Pudiwitr, the axe-slinging maestro from Boyfriend Band, is here to take us on a wild ride down memory lane. Our latest chat unfolds the tapestry of a band that's seen it all—from their raucous inception in the halls of high school to the cusp of local legend status, courtesy of the one and only Ike Heisler. Chuck's tales are like the finest vinyl crackle—rich with the history of St. Louis's music scene, the hilarity of youthful indiscretions, and the kind of rock 'n' roll shenanigans that got them famously ousted from every hotel at Lake of the Ozarks. As we count down to the Boyfriend Band's 45th-anniversary reunion show, get ready for a nostalgic trip that promises to strike a chord with rebels and romantics alike.
Now, let's amp up the volume and prep for the Boyfriend Band's encore—because Chuck and the crew aren't just dusting off the old setlist. They're bringing fresh tunes to blend with the classics in a show designed to electrify your soul and still get you in bed by midnight. Our conversation zigzags through the decades, from opening for rock royalty like Eddie Money to the whimsical wonders of Bobby's hair encounters and Billy Idol's unusual backstage requests. Chuck's stories are a testament to the extraordinary endurance of these rock icons, setting the stage for an unmissable reunion on March 9th at the Diamond Music Hall. Tune in, rock out, and let the Boyfriend Band's saga inspire you to keep the music playing.
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Welcome to our In your City show and we have a great hot list guest with us today Was supposed to be four of them, but you know what? They're band members and sometimes we know how that happens.
Speaker 2:I think they're sleeping in right now.
Speaker 1:It's like they're sleeping in, not working doing something, but anyway, we have Chuck Puttywitter with us today and he is the guitar player for the band Boyfriend. Been a longtime friend and we've known each other throughout the years, throughout the musical venues.
Speaker 2:Back when you had long hair, back when we all had hair, did you have the long hair?
Speaker 3:too. I did Again long hair.
Speaker 1:He was like a lion red, lion hair. It was a big chance?
Speaker 2:Did you happen to add one of those photos of them back in the day?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, we got some photos and I actually have some photos that they didn't send me.
Speaker 3:No discrediting photos right.
Speaker 1:So you're here today to talk about the band and because you have an upcoming show, but we'll get to that in a minute. So talk a little bit about the band, boyfriend, I mean, you guys have been a staple in the music business here in St Louis forever.
Speaker 3:I mean 40, 45 years. Now It'll be 45 years in October.
Speaker 2:Wow that's incredible. 45 years Do you guys still practice in the garage?
Speaker 3:We're practicing in a basement Timmy's basement, yeah, you practice there. Yeah, you have. So yeah, in 79, timmy and his brother and I and Mark our original bass player we all went to high school together. Now, timmy was younger than us so he was in junior high and I can't remember if we started in our sophomore or junior year. But us four started a band and we got pretty recognized and was doing pretty well even in high school and we got picked up by a local talent agent, heisler Productions. I know you know who, mike Heisler is wonderful guy and we started playing a lot of high schools. Even clubs were starting to have us and Timmy's 13, 14 years old.
Speaker 3:We're going to the speakeasy, the greenery and their dad, robert and Timmy's dad, was just a marvelous guy. We would play like on Wednesday night at speakeasies, say, like over in Breeze, illinois. And we would play like on Wednesday night at Speakeasy say, like over in Breeze, illinois, and we had a van and a big trailer that carried the equipment. He would drive us all over there and then we'd set up and while we played he'd sleep in a cot in the van and then take us home when we loaded out and then he'd go back to work the next day. You know, he was just a marvelous guy but we had to have some sort of chaperone or whatever to get Timmy in these clubs.
Speaker 3:And then the year of 79, we kept playing all the way to 79. And then Timmy and Robert wanted a break. But we had just got booked one of the boats at Lake of the Ozarks, you know they had the Larry Don and the Tom.
Speaker 1:Sawyer.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, that's right. So we went down there, but they didn't want to go, so we got John Plitze to sing you know little John, little John and Bobby.
Speaker 3:Jones to play drums. So we went down there and we had to watch an audition for the other boat, for a band. And when we were down there we went over and he, the owner, wanted us to watch the audition. So we said, okay, we'll check them out. Well, they had a really good keyboard player singer and it was Bob Flynn. So when you know there's no phones or computers back then.
Speaker 3:So I grabbed a napkin and I wrote my name and number on it and I said hey, tell that keyboard player, if he ever wants to quit and join another band, give me a call. Well, we got kicked out of Lake of the Ozarks because we ran out of places to stay. We were supposed to play until Labor Day. Yeah, and it was right before Fourth of July we got thrown out of Lake of the Ozarks.
Speaker 2:Thrown out of Lake of the Ozarks, not just a place, but actually the whole place.
Speaker 3:No, no, no I think all the hotels had a meeting and they kicked us out. That's her picture.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we got kicked out of every hotel you can imagine. But it was a funny story.
Speaker 3:So we ran out of hotels or one of our roadies.
Speaker 1:He goes.
Speaker 2:I got a big multi room tent. He goes yeah, we can't get kicked out of a campsite, can we First night?
Speaker 3:Yeah, they confiscated our tent even so, we had to leave. We were gone.
Speaker 2:You know, that was it, we were done like the Ozarks, so you've grown up since then.
Speaker 3:on you know, that was it. We were done like the Ozarks. So you've grown up since then Now, but anyway. So so we got back, I think right at 4th of July, and two weeks later Bob called me, you know, and and, uh, we finally went and met with him and by October Timmy wanted back, you know, he wanted to play some more, and we got him back. And then we've been together ever since, you know, I don't think.
Speaker 1:I've ever met anyone that's been kicked out of the full Lake of the Ozarks. So you win the prize today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we win a lot of those prizes, trust me.
Speaker 1:Oh yes, they do. I can't even imagine actually. I mean I was. They were playing already when I was starting to sing in bands and I would just look at them in amazement and go how do? These idiots do this.
Speaker 2:It's like they're a great band.
Speaker 3:No, he knows what I'm saying. We go back far enough we can call each other.
Speaker 1:I'm just looking at him. Oh my gosh, I go. These guys are insane.
Speaker 2:And I mean, it was you had to be a little bit of insanity there. Where's the name of boyfriend band come from? Were you boyfriends?
Speaker 3:We started out as the jets, the jets, yeah and um, and that was just driving by the airport when we were trying to think of names and I go how about the Jets?
Speaker 2:And we go, okay, yeah, we picked it. That sounds good. I didn't. I don't know if you remember, Good thing, you were driving by something else.
Speaker 3:But back in the early 80s a band got signed called the Jets I don't know who they were a pop group, you know. Yeah, I remember them, and so we had to change our name. It was Benny and the Jets, or was that a song.
Speaker 2:We went through all kinds of names and then Bob walked into practice one night and said how about boyfriend?
Speaker 3:And we go yeah, that'll work Really. And you all agreed. Yeah, we all agreed. Hey, it was good. Back then there was lover boy. Oh, that's true. Yeah, that's right, Lover boy, boyfriend.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about this show. So after 44 years, you guys have done quite a few of these shows now, these kind of reunion shows, and you have another one coming up and so tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 3:March 9th at Diamond Music Hall, we finally have a real rock club back in.
Speaker 1:St Louis.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely you know, because back in the 80s they were everywhere, you know, and now Topher and Johnny's just done a great job with this place Sound system, you know, the lights, everything's incredible. You know, because I kind of feel sorry for bands now because they're playing restaurants. You know, it's kind of like in the movie, that thing you do.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Order number 14 is ready for pickup. When they play Villa Pianos yeah, that's what it was. Yeah, so that's kind of what it is, you know. Yeah, Nothing against those places, but you know, we just didn't have a real rock club and now these guys have done a marvelous job. Great sound system, great sound man Todd out there, you know, Todd and Daryl on lights. It's a wonderful place and it's March 9th and we start at 8 o'clock.
Speaker 1:Anybody opening up for you? No, just, not just gonna be us.
Speaker 3:Okay, we're doing two long sets so we everybody be home by midnight, anything new.
Speaker 1:So I mean, you guys have done this before, so you got any new stuff coming out? That I mean new.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we put some new stuff on this, this show, so you know everybody be shocked by some of it, and so and surprise, so and one other question.
Speaker 1:So I mean, you guys been together for 44 years. How does a band stay together for 44 years? And not only that. Think about this, Chuck, so many times. One of the things that I see in the St Louis market is you'll see the same 10 guys playing in 30 bands.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean, yeah.
Speaker 1:But it wasn't that way when we were in bands. It was like you were Nichols, you were Boyfriend and that's who you were Nichols, you were boyfriend and that's who you were.
Speaker 2:And that was your identity. Not only playing in different bands, we've been where they played in the opening act.
Speaker 1:And then they were in the second band and they came on next.
Speaker 2:And I'm like why didn't they just stay up there then? They just want to change outfits.
Speaker 3:I think back then. We all thought we were Motley Crue already. You know, we put on shows. We still do that.
Speaker 2:We weren't in it for the money. You know nowadays musicians show up.
Speaker 3:Musicians show up 15 minutes before the gig, sit down a little box, amp and you know, and then start. They're ready to go because they're there for the, how much money they make, you know, 200 bucks or whatever, a piece of whatever. But back then we didn't care. You know, we liked the big shows. You know, gosh, when we our first gig at Kiel Opera House opening for Eddie Money, I went down at noon and stayed all day.
Speaker 2:I like that. You didn't get kicked out of there, though.
Speaker 1:No, no, we didn't get kicked out of there, and that's something real quick before we got a couple minutes, seconds, seconds, but you guys did open up for some big bands. Tell me about the story about Billy Idol. What story do? You want to hear Did Bobby have to dye his hair brown? Did Bobby have to dye his hair brown?
Speaker 3:Yeah, he had to dye his hair because Billy Idol wouldn't let him have blonde hair.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, so he dyed his hair brown. I forgot about that, that's right, and he really has blonde hair. Yeah, he really does have blonde hair, billy.
Speaker 1:Idol does no. No, bobby does yes. That's what I meant. Yes, but Billy Idol wouldn't let him open up for him.
Speaker 3:It was in his contract that the opening band couldn't have a blonde, so what's the craziest?
Speaker 1:story from all the bands you opened up for.
Speaker 3:The craziest.
Speaker 2:That we can say on this show. I'll say Alice Cooper.
Speaker 3:When we opened for Alice Cooper at Kiel Auditorium, I couldn't wait to meet the guy, because I was just idolized by Alice Cooper, right. Well, he was a recovering alcoholic at the time. And then there's you guys yeah.
Speaker 3:Get him alcoholic at the time. So we're waiting, you know, waiting and waiting, and he didn't show up for sound check. Nothing, I'm going to, you know what's going on, what's going on, but so we're waiting. We played our set, you know, and then we're waiting for Alice Cooper. Well, a limo pulls up to the door right before the lights go down. Alice Cooper is going on. He gets out of the door, runs on stage, does his thing and goes back to the limo and leaves, doesn't talk to anybody because he didn't want to be in that environment Right.
Speaker 2:That would make you get to have a setback or something you were looking forward to meeting him? Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:I was going to talk to him for an hour. You had all kinds of things to talk about. I never met Alice Cooper.
Speaker 2:How exciting. I'm so excited that you're still playing together the stories that you get to tell.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of them. When we talk about them, sometimes I don't remember some of them. I was there. I don't remember.
Speaker 1:We'll have to make sure that we get by. Then We'll go see you guys March 9th, march 9th.
Speaker 2:At the Diamond.
Speaker 3:Music Hall and it's selling quick, not diamonds, but yeah right, that's a whole different show.
Speaker 1:Well thanks. We thank you so much for being here today and we're looking forward to the show. And it's March 9th, diamond at 8 o'clock correct.
Speaker 3:That's it Awesome. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Thank you, guys Great hot list guest with us today with the Boyfriend Band. So thank you so much for joining us on the In your City Show.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
